Friday, August 6, 2021

MIKIE & THE ARDONS...Mam'selle records

Mikie (Michaele) Harris of the group girls fame as The Beach Girls, The Rag Dolls and Les girls with his first recording in 1962 as...

Mikie & The Ardons

- Three's A Crowd / Donnie. Mam'selle records-1962.

-Three's A Crowd / Man Of La Mancha (by the Bob Wayne Five). Gallant records-1966.

Read a short biography about this recording thanks to...


https://books.google.es/books?id=Y3_ctCvFZDoC&pg=PA246&lpg=PA246&dq=Mikie+(Michaele)+Harris+was+raised+in+Sarasota,+Florida+(by+way+of+North+Carolina),+


Mikie (Michaele) Harris was raised in Sarasota, Florida (by way of North Carolina), the eldest daughter of an accomplished businessman and airplane pilot and an airline stewardess mother, both of whom gave their daughter lots of encouragement in anything she wanted to do . Fast-forward to 1962, when, as a Manatee College sophomore, Mikie decided that she wanted to produce a recording session with herself as the lead vocalist and other local vocalists and band members with whom she was working. Since she had no label to back her, she decided to start one of her own, calling it “Mam'selle Records” in honor of a hit song by one of her favorite groups, "the Four Freshmen" It would become her first attempt as a lady record producer and label CEO. 


Sarasota, FL Newspaper 1962, Mike & The Ardons Top - Joe Bill Loudermilk, Ronnie Wolshaw,  Alton Gill, Jay Foley and Bunky Bartlett
Bottom - Chris Harris, Mikie Harris, Collier Summers

After raising some of the money by working the switchboard at school, Mikie convinced her dad to lend her the rest of the money for the session. To avoid any frivolity on her part de ella, Mikie's dad de ella made her sign a loan note, but gave her his full support de ella as she learned the ropes of becoming a businesswoman. The recording took place in Miami at Criteria Recording and Mikie put up all the musicians (and her mother, who was the chaperone) at The Fontainebleau Hotel, quite a venture for a teenager. Mikie's sister of hers Chris sang the lead harmonies with her. The other singers were Jay Foley, Collier Summers and Bunky Bartlett. The band was The Playboys, featuring Joe Bill Loudermilk (John's cousin), Alton Gill, Ronnie Wolshaw and Paul Cooper. The single did make some inroads on a few local and regional stations. Mikie Harris will be part of several groups: The Beach Girls, The Rag Dolls, Les Girls.

LISTEN...

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